This 13-week online course focuses on the global climate system, which includes Earth's oceans, atmosphere and land along with human interactions with each. Offered twice a year, the course is directed towards middle school teachers, but is open to...(View More) all K-12 teachers. This site provides information about the course- including a detailed description and the course requirements- as well as a link to the application.(View Less)

This video explains albedo - the concept that the brightness of the Earth system (atmosphere, ocean, and land surfaces) determines how much incoming solar energy is immediately reflected back to space. Reflected shortwave energy and land albedo...(View More) products demonstrate the seasonal and geographic variability of this critical climate process. ClimateBits videos are designed for Science On a Sphere (SOS) and also available on YouTube. Links are provided to more information for this topic from the main ClimateBits website (see related & supplemental links).(View Less)

Invisible Mars is a Science on a Sphere (SOS) and planetarium program that examines the story of water on Mars. NASA’s MAVEN mission (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission) is providing new information about the atmosphere of Mars and its...(View More) probable role in the disappearance of Martian water. The module also provides information on past, present, and future Mars missions, In addition to the downloadable script and materials to run the program, the site also provides background information, docent/facilitator tips, and image sets comparing water features on Earth and Mars.(View Less)

This 12-page educational comic book introduces readers to the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Using the Japanese anime art style, the comic book explains the satellite technology and the mission goals and applications. Supplemental...(View More) materials to support the story include an overview of the GPM mission, a description of the satellite and its instruments, examples of the data it collects, descriptions of some of the constellation partners, and a glossary of science terms used in the comic. Links are provided to additional related resources, including a template for learners to create their own comic. The Japanese anime/manga style of art was chosen because the GPM mission is a collaboration between NASA and JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.(View Less)

In this activity students investigate cloud opacity, including transparent, translucent, and opaque cloud characteristics. The activity is a companion resource to an episode of the PBS series, SciGirls. The episode, titled "SkyGirls," featured NASA...(View More) female scientists and a citizen science projects for students.(View Less)

In this interactive tutorial, learners can explore the physics of contrail formation in the atmosphere and develop the ability to recognize the several types of contrails that form under varying atmospheric conditions. Practice classifying the type...(View More) and abundance of contrails.(View Less)

Using a plastic tray filled with sand to represent a planetary surface, learners simulate the effects of wind, water, and impacts. They will compare the surface effects they create with actual images of planetary surfaces- and determine the causes...(View More) of the features in the images. This activity was designed to be used in a library program.(View Less)

This interactive, web-based tool asks a series of questions to help the learner narrow down the type of cloud they are observing. It can be used both for practice and in the field to identify clouds. This resource is part of The GLOBE Program...(View More) Atmosphere Protocol eTraining for Clouds.(View Less)